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Well, continuing the list of movies my mother wouldn’t let me watch–here’s a Nightmare on Elm Street. Since I was like 6 when this movie came out, I can’t really blame her. However, this movie was WAY better than I expected. Though the cover–why does it look like they pasted Johnny Depp’s face to this poor girl’s head? (BECAUSE HE WAS THE PRETTIEST! DURRRRRR!)

Again, I’m not going to go too far on the plot bit–Freddy Krueger haunts kids–got it. One thing this movie’s got on its brethren is the level of care in the details. Watch Friday the 13th and you might as well turn your brain off–you start noticing inconsistencies and the whole thing comes round. This one though rewards attention, I mean it’s not Citizen Kane, but I really like some of the details: like the stay awake pills being on her desk later, the details of the dreams, why everything ends up in a furnace room–it all sorta makes sense, and because most of the violence happens in dreams any consistency holes get layered over by the dream frosting.

The biggest thing to say about this movie is that while it plays with dream imagery, a vast majority of the film focuses on real world stuff, or things that could happen in the real world at any rate. The fight against falling asleep is always hinted at, but never directly addressed. And the best thing about this movie is Ronee Blakely! My god that woman is a genius, I could watch her saying her lines all day in that super expressive too sweet to be true motherly voice. Really, why they couldn’t have kept her around for like three more movies is beyond me, because her scenes all rock.

Some little things I noticed though–

Nancy’s father sure wears a lot of makeup.

Ok, so we see Nancy’s mother remove a pot of coffee and like three mugs from Nancy’s room, but Nancy has a coffee pot under her bed? Does she have to have a fresh cup every time she pours herself more?

Until Nancy mentions her mother drinking, we never see any liquor–after that point she’s got a bottle at hand through the rest of the film.

Also, Nancy’s mom dug through the warehouse fire to get Freddy’s glove? Why? Was it still connected to his hand, because ewwwww.

What was the point of Freddy pretending to be the hall monitor? Even Nancy just shrugged at that one and Nancy screams at EVERYTHING.

Also they’ve got to have the fastest bar manufacturers in the country because Nancy was out for maybe a couple of hours and Mom had all the windows in the house barred already.

There’s no way that Johnny Depp could possibly sleep that way with the TV on his groin. Those “portable” TVs were HEAVY. Also he’s watching Miss Nude America on broadcast TV?

Most of the effects were pretty good–except for Freddy with the long arms, which just looks silly, Also in her dream Nancy got Freddy’s hat? How?

Also the Scooby Doo plan of Nancy, I’d accuse Nightmare of stealing from Home Alone but it was years later. Still–I couldn’t help but think of it.